Summit at Sunset (Sunset Vampire #3)

Summit at Sunset (Sunset Vampire #3) Page 11

Caleb sat up in bed and gratefully accepted the anti-inflammatory medication for his headache. As he lay back down, his pale blue eyes swept the room until resting upon Dori. So much had transpired so quickly in recent days that he had never been able to get to the bottom of one key question.

"Who are you, exactly?" he asked.

"Me? I'm just a simple French girl," she demurred with a shrug.

Caleb scoffed as Alton suppressed a smirk.

Then her smile faded, and her visage turned serious. "I'm a Special Agent in Charge for Interpol, Caleb."

Even in his slightly impaired state, he was both surprised and impressed. "Interpol?"

Dori nodded. "I've been with the agency for almost ten years now."

Katrina frowned. "I suspected something of that nature. But precisely how did you meet Alton?"

Being on Interpol's radar doesn't bode well for our kind.

The woman fondly gazed into Alton's hazel eyes.

"Alton and I met one night while I was on a surveillance mission," she recalled with a distant expression. "Unfortunately, I didn't realize my target knew about our presence. My partner was killed before I realized what was happening, and Alton saved my life just as a knife blade flashed in my peripheral vision."

"I've a soft spot for lovely ladies," Alton interjected with his charming English accent.

Somehow that didn't surprise Katrina. She knew long ago that Alton's modus operandi often involved old-school chivalry.

"We dated for some time afterwards," Dori continued. "Though I must admit that it took me quite a while before I became suspicious of our frequent evening-only rendezvous. Eventually, he revealed his secret to me, and once I got over the shock of it, I found that I wasn't bothered. In fact, there's something quite romantically gothic about the whole premise."

"So," Katrina assessed, "you're the special contact he used to acquire information about Chimalma when we were tracking her last year."

Dori looked at Alton, who shrugged.

"Indeed," he confirmed. "And a valuable resource she was, as well."

Katrina's eyebrows rose with curiosity, but her thoughts were interrupted by yet more knocking at the suite's door. She answered it, and Paige strode into the room with a wide-eyed expression.

Alton and Dori stepped into the living room as she entered.

"What's wrong?" Alton asked the petite vampire.

"I've never heard of anything quite like this," Paige ventured with near-excitement in her voice. "Most of the vampires are mingling in the main dining room among their human companions. There's a lot of talk about Caleb and how he risked his life like he did. Some want to confer a monetary offering, while others are talking about oaths of fellowship or something like it."

"Really?" Katrina asked with surprise.

In all her centuries as a vampire, she had never heard of such a thing before. But then, in her lifetime, events on the scale of the conference had never been tried, either.

"That boy continues to surprise me," Alton murmured almost to himself.

He walked to the bedroom to peek in on Caleb.

"How are you feeling, son?"

Caleb peered down the length of the bed past his feet to get a better view of Alton in the doorway. "Better, thanks. Just tired, mainly."

"Well, get some rest," Alton offered. "You have a number of well-wishers downstairs, in addition to the ones in this suite, and we all need for you to feel better soon."

"Thanks," he replied.

I have more new friends. Human and vampire friends.

"Oh, and Caleb," Alton said. "Brutally honest, what you did today was impressive. I'm very proud of you, young man."

"Brutal honesty?" he asked.

It was a term that Caleb and Alton used to indicate that their statements to one another were entirely forthright, without reservations or patronization. It meant a great deal to him to know exactly where he stood in Alton's eyes, particularly given how Katrina looked up to him as her former mentor.

"Brutal honesty," Alton confirmed.

"And what might the repercussions be for killing a vampire today?" It was only after saying it that such a fact solidified in his mind, and he felt almost numb.

Oh my God, this can't be happening. I killed a vampire today and his human aide. I've never killed anyone before.

He anticipated that a human killing a vampire was likely an unpopular act, no matter the justifications or circumstances. But the starkest realization in his mind was that, despite the death of both a human and a vampire at his hands, he didn't feel the remorse over the deaths that he would have expected.

Alton warmly responded, "Among those here at the conference, you're most assuredly 'in the clear' in a phenomenal way. I've also spoken with the Slovene authorities, and they consider your actions as a 'heroic act in their own country's war against terrorism,' or some such thing."

"Among those here," Caleb repeated as Alton's comments slowly replayed in his mind. It occurred to him that those present might be sympathetic to his actions, but perhaps those allied with Dubravko wouldn't feel so forgiving.

As if divining the young man's thoughts, Alton continued, "The vampires that Dubravko represented won't take kindly to their emissary's death, but even they would be hard-pressed to decry your actions openly without garnering negative attention from the vampire community. Dubravko attempted to murder a host of his peers, after all. However, that doesn't mean that you might not be a target of opportunity for them moving forward."

Caleb sighed with resignation.

Great, I'm a target again, he groused. Although it wasn't as if he would dream of taking back what he did. To him, anything was worth saving those that he cared about so dearly.

"But you've acquired many more allies than you had even a day or so ago, as well," Alton reassured him. "Mark my words Caleb; you have a number of powerful supporters behind you now, aside from those in this suite, of course."

The two female vampires stood in the living room listening to Alton's and Caleb's conversation. Katrina slowly nodded her head in determined agreement, while Paige glanced in Alton's direction with a steely-eyed resolve.

Caleb earnestly smiled. "Thanks, Alton. Thanks so much."

Alton's expression turned serious. "No, thank you, dear boy. Many owe you a significant debt of gratitude today. And vampires don't easily forget their debts."

The tall, dark-haired vampire turned and proceeded across the living room towards the door to the suite, wrapping his arm around Dori's waist as he passed her. They silently departed, pulling the door to the suite closed behind them.

"Someday, I want to know what that 'brutal honesty' term is all about," Katrina whispered, almost to herself.

"I bet it's probably some sort of guy thing," Paige said.

"Hm," Katrina said absently.

She had known Alton for centuries and doubted her friend's off-handed assessment. Alton was typically very precise and deliberate in his vocabulary. However, to her, that was a minor mystery that could easily wait. For the time being, she had Caleb's well-being and security to consider, as well as a host of other concerns related to the remaining conference agenda.

Following a few hours of sleep, Caleb woke to discover a nighttime view through the bedroom window. The suite's curtains were pulled open, and he noticed that a moon had partially risen. He imagined the night was rife with wandering vampires outside the walls of the hotel.

Stretching his legs while lying in bed, he immediately felt a number of sore muscles ache from his efforts. Appreciative that his headache of a few hours ago had temporarily subsided, he once again felt more like himself.

A flickering light on the nightstand commanded his attention, and he noted that it came from the display on his cell phone. Reaching over, he flipped open the face and dialed voicemail. The message was from Paul Wright and was short and sweet.

"Caleb, it's Paul. I'm sorry, but I have bad news from the state regents and our president pertaining to next year's budget. As we feared, the cuts were deep, and things don't appear good at all. We've arrived at our worst-case scenario. Please call me when you get back."

So there it was: he was about to become jobless. His dream career of a lifetime was over, or at least, suspended. He wearily placed the cell phone back onto the nightstand.

Pivoting up from the mattress, he had barely pushed his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, when he felt a sudden wooziness roll over him. He grabbed the side of the bed with both hands to steady himself and slowly proceeded to stand up.

His bare feet had no sooner touched the floor when he started to feel slightly dizzy, and two small hands wrapped around his upper arms from behind to steady him in place.

"Easy there, hero," Paige's voice warned. "What are you doing up?"

He smiled, grateful that his friend and guardian was watching out for him. "Where's Kat?"

"You know, I still can't believe she lets you call her that. She hates nicknames."

"Hey, you call her 'Red' and get away with it. Maybe I'm just a special case, or something."

She giggled, wrapped her arms around his muscular chest, and pulled him against her petite frame. A tingle ran through her body as a rush of desire threatened to surface.

He felt the appealing warmth from her body penetrate his shirt.

Then he felt her lips at his left ear as she whispered, "You are very special, kiddo. In fact, after today, I'd say that you're a human phenom of sorts to some folks. And, yes, you and I are both exceptions to her nickname rule. In truth, we probably get away with a lot more than she'd allow from anyone else. Actually, I'm sure of it."

She held the wonderful young man in her arms, silently cherishing the moment. Certainly, the dashing and engaging Dr. Ethan Reynolds had captured her attention, but Caleb had captured her heart. Of course, he was already taken, and by her best friend, no less.

Some women have all the luck.

Still, it wasn't as if she intended to challenge Katrina for Caleb's affections. She frequently saw the love reflected in her friend's eyes and refused to do anything to harm such a special thing. But there was sadness within her from not having anybody like that for herself, at least, not yet.

"I should just be grateful for what I have," she mumbled under her breath.

Although quiet, he registered her comment and blinked with surprise.

Paige froze and swallowed hard, suddenly sorry for her audible slip. She realized how vulnerable she felt at that moment and dreaded saying anything further. But her heart outpaced her mind.

"I wish you'd do something to make me hate you," she whispered in a tight voice.

"What?" he whispered as he pulled away from her, staring incredulously into her blue eyes.

Her pained expression spoke volumes.

"Sometimes it's so difficult for me, wrestling with such strong feelings, unlike anything I've felt before. Then knowing that it doesn't matter because you couldn't possibly ever love me in the same way that you do Katrina." She struggled as her brows knitted from the effort of holding back tears.

His heartbeat raced, and it tortured him that he couldn't return the same level of affection to her that he felt for Katrina. In any case, even if he could, he realized that it would never be fair to either of them to pursue them both. A choice had to be made, and he had made it long before meeting her.

And I have no regrets.

"But I do love you," he retorted as he turned to face her. "I'll love you forever. It's just a different sort of love. And I need you so very badly in my life," he insisted, tightly hugging her to him. He took note of her taut muscles, though they relaxed slightly after a moment.

Paige felt her eyes moisten as she silently nodded. She didn't trust her voice to respond as her small arms encircled his waist.

Moments passed before she lightly kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "Well, I didn't get a chance to thank you for saving my life today. So, thanks."

She allowed the silence to grow between them for a time.

"And as for that old lady of yours, she's out at the site of your exciting briefcase finale," she said, forcing a degree of levity into her voice.

He pressed a kiss against her cheek, which surprised her. She was awash with so many conflicted emotions that she felt like a circus juggler at that moment.

"You're welcome. I can't bear the thought of losing either Kat or you, much less both of you."

She silently considered him at length, deliberately stalling to appreciate the closeness they were sharing.

I love this little guy so very much, she mused, smirking from the irony that he was actually a couple of inches taller than she was.

"Are we okay?" he asked.

She parted from their embrace, pulling away from him slightly while her piercing gaze transfixed him. Then her visage softened, and she nodded affirmatively.

"We will be...someday."

He stared back at her affectionately.

"We better be. I won't settle for less," he challenged as a hopeful wave of relief washed over him. Somehow, he felt as if he'd just dodged some kind of catastrophic emotional bullet.

"So, how about a little evening stroll?" he prompted.

"Okay, tiger," she agreed. "But no more heroism for today. If you start feeling weak or overly tired, you tell me. Got it?"

"Got it," he calmly replied as he turned to lead the way to the suite's front door.

However, his mind was still flustered by Paige's emotional revelations.

The night was far more beautiful than it had appeared from the hotel room. The air was cool and dry, and the sky was awash with a spectrum of stars. The moon cast a romantic glow on the area, and occasional park lamps further enhanced the romantic ambiance.

Caleb breathed in deeply, appreciating the scent and coolness of the fresh mountain air. He walked across the expanse of ground that he had spanned earlier in the day, but for some reason, that same distance seemed much further in the darkness.

As he walked, he realized that Paige had fallen behind him a short distance away. He paused to glance over his shoulder at her, and she smirked back at him.

"Go get her, kiddo," she teased. "Or rather, be ready for her to come get you when she sees you standing there. I'm close if you need me, but do me a favor and stay away from the edge."

He quirked his lips at her odd comments and kept walking towards the edge of the small cliff from which he had flung the briefcase. As he approached the edge, he saw a glow of industrial spotlights encircling a huge crater in the roadway.

The fencing alongside the road had been blown down for a short distance on either side of the crater, and the small cliff on which he stood seemed to have been whittled away significantly. Down below, some heavy tractors and a backhoe filled the crater with dirt and gravel.

He noticed that the black limousine was flipped over and had been moved to the side of the roadway. It was basically a twisted metal frame, burned and battered almost beyond recognition. There were also scorch marks on the undamaged part of the roadway where a fire must have been. Approximately two dozen workmen attended to various activities at the site, as well as a half-dozen or more authorities.

Surveying the scene below him, he spotted Alton talking to Katrina as they watched over the activities at the site. Dori was nestled beneath Alton's left arm protectively draped around her shoulders. He was momentarily reminded of how Katrina often wrapped her arm around his own shoulders. It was a comforting scene, and he was pleased that the two seemed so happy together.

A handful of other vampires and some human companions watched from just outside the roped-off construction area. Caleb felt somewhat anxious as Katrina abruptly stopped talking to Alton and looked up to stare directly at him. He waved down at her, and she briefly returned his wave before adopting a concerned expression.

She doesn't like me standing here.

She moved in a blur from next to Alton and sprang halfway up the rocky façade of the cliff with a single leap. Then she appeared to half-claw, half-step the remainder of the way to the top where he was standing.

He was astonished that she was able to accomplish such a feat, and he staggered back a step or two.

"My God, Kat," he nearly gasped.

To humans, vampires in action could be breathtaking, if not terrifying.

Nature's perfect predators.

"You shouldn't be up and around tonight, my love," she stated with concern, drawing herself to her full height in an imposing stance. "And I can do much better than that. You just haven't seen me in action very often."

She was a vision of beauty in the moonlight, her pale skin illuminated against the night. Her emerald eyes glowed ever so slightly, but he wasn't sure if it were strong emotion or hunger.

Despite the way her red hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, it seemed to glisten brightly in the moonlight. She was a vision of feral loveliness, and he momentarily wondered if biblical angels also looked that way to humans. To him, she was certainly an angel, the angel who had saved him from the hands of a cruel, abusive father.

"A beautiful angel," he whispered as his pulse increased from the desire that flowed through his mind and body. "My vampire. My love."

The corners of her lips upturned slightly, and then her eyes darted behind Caleb to see Paige standing close by. She nodded to the petite vampire before returning her full attention to Caleb.

My Caleb. But why are you here when you should be back at the room resting? A concussion is nothing to be trifled with.

"I need to be near you," he replied to the question evident on her face.

She moved across the distance between them like lightning, coming to an abrupt halt to stand before him, and gazed down into his eyes. Her arm wrapped around his waist as she bent to kiss him passionately on the lips. Much to her satisfaction, he returned the kiss in kind.

"I need you too," she whispered after parting from the kiss. "But you should be in bed resting, not standing next to the edge of a cliff."

He chuckled as his arms reached out to encircle her, and he hugged her to him. He felt her arms envelop him in return, and he smiled. It was exactly what he needed.

"How'd you sense I was up here?" he asked.

It was her turn to chuckle. "You're my mate. I'm keenly attuned to the scent and taste of your body and your blood. I recognize the rhythm of your heartbeat and the music of your pulse. I could pick you out of a crowd of people in seconds if I were blindfolded. And besides, if I can find you in a dark London subway tunnel, how much easier must it be in the open evening air?"

It was a heady experience that flowed through him as he considered her almost poetic response to his question.

How can I be so blessed to have her in my life?

"I love being your mate," he murmured as he rested his head against her shoulder.

"As do I," she endearingly replied, holding his body close to hers.

Katrina loosened her grip and rotated her body around to stand beside him. She wrapped her left arm firmly around his waist and slowly led him back to the edge of the cliff. She stepped behind him and wrapped both arms around his waist, her body remaining like a pillar grounded to the Earth beneath her as he was tethered by her arms.

"Let's give you a more secure vantage point. You can see that it's still a mess down there," she offered.

Caleb looked down over the edge, feeling very safe and secure in Katrina's arms. The anxiety of earlier had completely dissipated, and he could appreciate all that was taking place down below more thoroughly. He noticed a few of the vampires, including an uncustomarily grinning Alton, momentarily looked up at him. A couple of the vampires gave small waves to him, and he waved back.

Then he felt Katrina pull him away from the edge as she hugged him closely to her. He wanted to melt into her as he felt the warmth from her body penetrate into his own against the evening's cool breeze.

"Kat, there's something you need to know," he tentatively began.

She was immediately concerned by his tone, but lightly kissed the back of his neck. "Yes?"

"I sort of lost...What I mean is, Georgia's experiencing some steep budget cuts with the bad economy. And, well, I just found out that I'm being laid off from the college. I lost my job, Kat."

She mulled over his revelation for a moment and hugged him to her.

He loves teaching. It's so unfair.

"But don't worry, I'm going job hunting just as soon as we get home," he reassured her. He meant to prove to her that he was no slouch. However, he also realized that the major obstacle was more the country's "jobless economic recovery" than his determination to find work.

Katrina proudly regarded the man in her arms, touched that he was so concerned with her impression of him. As if he had to impress her after all that he had sacrificed for her.

He simply has no idea.

"Caleb, there's no shame in your circumstances. You were laid off, just like so many other people. The culprit is a faulty economy, not you. You speak of job loss as if I'm going to think less of you," she mildly chastised. "And yet, you nearly died today for me, for Paige, for strangers, for all of us."

He frowned. "But that was an easy decision, actually. You couldn't flee the building during daytime. I just can't live without you, not now, not ever. You're my everything, Kat."

Her arms tightened around him, but she relaxed her grip again to prevent hurting him. The thought of losing him to an explosion had been nearly too great to bear, and she didn't think that she could endure something like that again.

"I thought you were dead when that explosion went off," she said as her eyes moistened. "And I can't bear to see you take risks like that again. I need you in my life, and I need you to be alive to do that."

He let that sink in before saying anything.

"So, it seems that we're at an impasse, Kat. We need each other too much to see the other risk their life. Sounds like we need to risk our lives together, then."

Katrina fondly considered him as she held him in her arms. "An admirable philosophical argument, my love."

He tilted his head upwards to kiss her appreciatively as her lips met his. Then perspiration formed on his forehead, despite the cool evening breeze, and he suddenly felt very tired.

"Are you ready to go back to the room now?" she gently asked, having detected the change in his body.

"Are you really interested in my answer?" he playfully countered, though his legs were feeling more tired with each passing moment.

She adopted a sly expression. "I'm always interested in your answer, my love. However, I'm also taking you back to the room now."

"Well, I suppose I could use a shower and maybe something to eat."

"What a fortunate coincidence then."

Releasing him from her embrace, she affectionately held his hand as they walked side by side back towards the hotel. As they reached Paige, she fell into step alongside them.

"See? I told you she'd come get you," she teased Caleb.

The conference only continued for two additional days following Caleb's return to the hotel. The reconvening of attendees began with Alton's playing the complete digital recording of the conversation between Major Pietari and Dubravko. It wasn't as if Dubravko's failed attempt at murdering the attendees didn't convey the heart of the matter, but the digital recording added supplementary context to the events leading up to that. A number of attendees made statements, some quite elegant, concerning the important occasion that fate had placed before them.

In the end, it was agreed by the vast majority that an abbreviated list of fundamental premises for collaboration would be established to distribute worldwide to vampires for consideration. Additionally, a future conference would be scheduled for further discussion of those items by interested parties.

Alton was quite pleased.

Towards the end of the day, Caleb was invited into the conference room. Upon entering, Katrina beckoned him to the front of the table to stand between hers and Alton's chairs.

The assembled vampires issued a toast to him, using champagne glasses containing warm blood, no less.

Alton held up a thick manila envelope, informing him, "Caleb, this august group has raised a small token of our esteem and appreciation for your courageous and life-saving actions on our behalf. Each has pledged their support of your actions and bears no ill will for the inadvertent death of Baldar Dubravko. In fact, a roomful of allies would like to greet you and thank you in turn."

Caleb realized that any reference to the death of the limousine's driver was notably absent.

He likely didn't warrant recognition as Dubravko's aide. Was that because he was merely human?

He made his way around the table with Katrina closely behind him, politely nodding and shaking hands with each vampire in turn. In particular, he was pleasantly surprised that Talise and Rianne gently embraced him rather than merely shaking hands. Certainly, new alliances had been formed.

"We were glad to make new friends on this trip," Talise whispered in his ear, while smiling over his shoulder at Katrina.

"You'll both have to come visit Maddy and me, Caleb," Rianne warmly invited.

Katrina nodded.

When they arrived at Hakizimana, the ancient vampire looked upon him with an appraising expression as they shook hands.

"You've surprised me, Caleb. It's been some time since that's happened, and that's a good thing."

The hazel-eyed, auburn-haired Mara stood beside Hakizimana, inspecting the young man as she reached out to shake his hand.

"I suppose you're okay in my book," she reluctantly offered. "Maybe," she added as the edges of her mouth upturned ever so slightly.

Caleb's eyes darted to Hakizimana to see the vampire smiling at him in evident amusement as he continued around the table to greet the remaining vampires.

When he returned to the head of the table, Alton gestured to Caleb.

"We all genuinely thank you, young man," he said with a nod, gently dismissing him.

Katrina lightly ran her fingernails down the back of his neck and smiled at him before retaking her seat next to Alton at the front of the conference table.

Caleb turned to depart, but Hakizimana rose, asking, "I wonder if the Chairman might indulge the newest member of our gathering? I have a question for Caleb."

Caleb stopped and turned to look at both Alton and Katrina. Each nodded their approval, and he returned to stand between them at the front of the room.

"How can I be of assistance, Hakizimana?" Caleb politely asked, inwardly pleased that he had recalled how to pronounce the vampire's name properly.

"You've gone to great personal length to risk your life. In the end, the actions you have taken have certainly furthered the success of this conference. May I ask why all of this meant so much to you?" the dark-skinned vampire innocently inquired.

Caleb's face blanked as he grasped for a diplomatic answer, and instead, tapped into the emotions he had been feeling.

"I'd truly like to say something insightful or prescient, or something inspirational and noteworthy, but I'm afraid that all I can offer is this: I did it for those whom I care deeply about."

He looked at Alton, and then his eyes settled on the woman whom he loved so dearly.

"And if I may say, at first, this conference seemed such a novelty to me. But given all that's happened, it's obvious that novelty has given way to necessity. All of you must try to come up with a viable plan for the future because I'm quite sure that humanity isn't going to have a plan when the day comes that vampires are revealed to the world. I sincerely hope that you can succeed because, for me, it comes down to this: some of my favorite people are vampires, and I don't want to see them threatened."

Katrina warmly smiled at him.

I simply adore you, my love.

He winked back at his mate and looked up to scan the room of silent faces before him. Among others, Hakizimana appeared notably pleased.

"From the mouth of a young man who's a quarter of a century old," he observed. "Look at us, beings of history and longevity, many of us ten-fold older than he is, or more. Ask yourselves, how can we dare expect less from ourselves given what this beneficent human has already done for us?"

There were sobering looks and nods of silent approval as the tall vampire gracefully returned to his seat. Alton adopted a pleased expression, much like the cat that ate the proverbial canary, and looked up at Caleb with overt approval.

"Thank you, Caleb," he genuinely offered. "Both for your service and your welcome sincerity."

Caleb bowed slightly to the stately vampire and reached down to take the manila envelope on the table before him, but Alton gently placed his own hand over it.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this for you, dear boy," he whispered.

Caleb observed him with a wry grin and quietly departed the room. He had no idea how much might be in the envelope, but was grateful for the gesture.

Any amount would be welcome. I'm unemployed now, after all.

After the conference ended for the day, Alton and Katrina met Dori and Caleb in the main dining room for dinner and were joined by Paige and Ethan, who arrived together. Caleb noted that the large manila envelope was on the table to Alton's left.

Following some cursory visiting and the arrival of wine for the group, Alton turned to Caleb, pointedly placing his hand atop the envelope.

"I hope you'll excuse my presumption earlier, Caleb," he diplomatically offered. "But Katrina and I feel that it's best to look after this for you. I have some wonderful investment plans for you that will grow and develop this little nest egg of yours into something formidable."

Despite feeling somewhat ashamed for discussing the matter before everyone, he was also dying of curiosity.

"Um, what kind of nest egg are we talking about, exactly?"

Alton withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket with a figure written on it and slid it across the table between them.

Caleb's eyes widened to the size of saucers. He had never envisioned that kind of figure in his earlier estimations. It easily reflected ten years worth of gross salary as a college professor...at one of the premiere ivy-league universities.

"Well, uh, that's pretty impressive," he stammered in agreement and glanced up at Katrina, who was smiling.

"I'm confident that you'll like where this goes," Alton assured him. "And of course I'll send quarterly statements so you're kept apprised."

"Oh, sure."

This must be a dream, right?

"Now, a toast to us and the ones we love," Alton neatly interjected.

Everyone raised their glasses, and Caleb surveyed those at the table. Alton and Dori stared into each other's eyes while Ethan smiled at Paige.

Paige appeared surprised, but winked at Ethan, and then her blue eyes quickly darted over to catch Caleb's. She smiled at him as his eyebrows rose.

Caleb's gaze continued on its way around the table to settle upon Katrina, whose stare bored into his, appearing both sultry and sincere at the same time. A warm, satisfied glow spread across his face.

My vampire, my love, he thought while sipping his wine.

The final day at the conference was spent handling last-minute motions among the attendees and assigning post-conference activities and responsibilities. Naturally, Alton and Katrina were assigned a number of them, which she immediately lamented.

More time being distracted from Caleb.

Still, a number of the attendees did offer to assist in smaller ways, which held the promise of continued collaboration for the success of the endeavor.

After word spread about Caleb's comments at the prior day's committee, he found himself a bit of a rock star around the facility. Apparently, his off-the-cuff comments had gone over well, which he found encouraging.

He was busy the next day packing and saying goodbye to his newest acquaintances, including a number of vampire guards. He spent extended time with Maddy and Aiden, clearly two of his favorite new human acquaintances. He promised the New England electrician that he would call to arrange a camping and fishing trip together. In Aiden, he found a kindred male spirit who also happened to have a vampire partner.

He did manage some additional fishing at the site's miniature lake. Though it was both therapeutic and relaxing, thoughts of his return to Atlanta pervaded the forefront of his mind on more than one occasion. He almost dreaded his return home, if only for his new career status in life.

Still, his current circumstances were better than he would have expected a few days ago, although one glimpse of the security guard perched not far away from where he fished confirmed that he was still notorious, despite his newfound popularity among vampires. The fact that the guard was both unassuming and congenial suggested a positive reputation, at least.

Towards the end of the day, Caleb found Paige and Ethan sitting in the small coffee shop near the shopping area. The two were smiling and chatting just like two old friends.

It made him happy that his surrogate vampire had found someone to spend time with. He wandered over to the pair, who looked up together at his approach.

"Hey, if it isn't the vampire world's newest diplomat," Paige teased with a sparkle in her bright, blue eyes.

"Hi, Caleb," Ethan happily offered. "How do you feel today?"

"Much better, thanks. Just a little dizzy now and again."

"That's to be expected," Ethan replied. "But we'll need to keep an eye on you for a time, just the same."

"I guess that's for the rest of today, then," Caleb suggested. "We're leaving for home tomorrow, after all."

Ethan's eyes darted to Paige, and he grew solemn. "Yeah, I suppose that's true."

Caleb adopted a curious expression and nonchalantly asked, "So, Ethan, where's home, again?"

"Hamburg, for now," he wistfully replied. "Big city, interesting people," he added with a shrug.

Paige's expression turned somber as she listened.

Such a nice guy. The truth was that she liked the handsome doctor more than she cared to admit, which was unusual given how briefly she had known him.

Face it, good chemistry makes a difference. Of course, really great sex doesn't hurt, either, she thought.

Caleb observed his surrogate's reaction and ventured, "Ethan, I don't have a regular family physician back home and was wondering something."

"Yes?"

"Have you ever considered moving back stateside?"

Paige's eyebrows rose as her blue eyes met the brown-eyed doctor's.

He smiled back at her and then looked at Caleb.

"On occasion," he said. "I haven't been back in the States for years, actually."

"I'll be relocating to Atlanta after this, as a matter of fact," Paige interjected. "It'll be nice living closer to Red and tiger, here."

"Is that so?" Ethan replied with intrigue.

He glanced down at his cup of coffee with a probing expression. He patiently took a sip of the dark liquid and observed both Paige and Caleb over his cup.

After a few moments, he ventured with a smirk, "I suppose it wouldn't be good to abandon my new patient to a cold, cruel world of anonymous physicians, now would it?"

"That can't be ethical," Paige solemnly agreed.

Interesting, very interesting, she mulled.

"It's hardly in the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath," Caleb suggested.

The vampire physician studied Paige at length, as if weighing his options.

She regarded him with a thoughtful, yet hopeful, expression.

Finally, he smiled and nodded.

"Why not? Atlanta it is, then."

Paige cast an appreciative, nearly elated, expression at Caleb. Her attention quickly returned to Ethan, staring into his eyes like someone who had just won the lottery.

She grinned. Oh, I can't wait to see where this goes. And I just love playing doctor!